EU Regional Policy

This paper examines the role of resorts and spa destinations in the tourism of the Székelyland counties (Mures/Maros, Harghita/Hargita, and Covasna/Kovászna), with a focus on health tourism as a strategic development sector. It clarifies the distinction between resorts and spa/health resorts, highlighting the latter’s dependence on certified natural healing resources and organized medical services. Based on the analysis of guest nights and accommodation capacity for the period 2019–2022, the study demonstrates the strong impact of the COVID 19 pandemic and the partial recovery driven mainly by domestic tourism.
Key findings indicate that (1) spa destinations dominate regional tourism structures but with significant inter-county differences;  (2) leading centres such as Sovata/Szováta, Băile Tușnad/Tusnádfürdő, Praid/Parajd and Covasna/Kovászna concentrate a large share of demand; (3) recovery trends remain uneven, with 2022 performance still below pre-pandemic levels; and (4) official resort status does not always correspond to actual tourism performance, as some non-designated localities outperform certified ones. The paper concludes that health tourism offers strong development potential due to longer stays and its capacity to reduce seasonality, emphasizing the need for coordinated planning, investment, and sustainable resource management to enhance regional competitiveness.
Keywords: health tourism; spa destinations; resorts; Székelyland; tourism development

In apical geoeconomic times, the EU – whose economy relies heavily on trade openness – sees its economic competitiveness and resilience being structurally eroded. In this context, the EU recently adopted the European economic security strategy, striking a delicate balance between trade openness and protection from related risks based on the fundamental alignment across its trade and industrial policies. To continue taking advantage of the benefits of a more integrated single market – with an outward-looking industrial policy and facilitated intra-EU trade – as well as of open trade as adjusted to strategic autonomy, it is crucial for the EU to continue conceiving trade and industry as sources of preservation and – critically – also of creation for the longer term driven by reglobalisation.

European territorial cooperation is a flagship of Cohesion policy of European Union, which rises the strength and status of regions in its member states. The Interreg programme is aimed at supporting border regions, which together solve projects with partners from neighbouring states. Slovak Republic by joining the EU in 2004 gained opportunity fully develop cross border cooperation instrument with the neighbouring member states. The subject of research are successfully implemented projects in Interreg A programmes, from the program period of 2007-2020. We will deal only with projects, in which local self-government units in Slovakia figured as project partners. The main purpose of the post is to provide comparative analysis of engaging in cooperation by local self-government units. The post compares successfully solved projects by municipalities and towns in Slovak districts and according to number of inhabitants living in municipalities and towns. We will also try to find out, if some municipalities have better condition to implement projects, or what are the reasons why some municipalities did not participate in cooperation. At the end we will compare Slovakia´s national level activity in comparison to other EU member states.

Esta comunicación pretende dar a conocer el proceso de adaptación de la Junta de Castilla y León a la moneda única europea, haciendo especial referencia a las peculiaridades que se producen al tratarse de una Administración regional.
Se comienza haciendo referencia a los antecedentes históricos y fases de la UEM. Posteriormente se abordan las implicaciones del euro en las Administraciones Públicas, incidiendo en el caso concreto de la Junta de Castilla y León. El trabajo se completa con el análisis de las actuaciones de la Comisión Autonómica y el Plan de Introducción del euro en la Administración de Castilla y León.
This communication aims to explain the process of adaptation of the Regional Government of Castile and León to the single European currency, with particular emphasis on the specific challenges faced by a regional administration.
It begins by outlining the historical background and phases of the Eurozone. Subsequently, it addresses the implications of the euro for public administrations, focusing specifically on the case of the Regional Government of Castile and León. The document concludes with an analysis of the actions taken by the Regional Commission and the Euro Introduction Plan for the Administration of Castile and León.